TRIBUTES ARE BEING paid to a five-year-old boy who died in a crash in Co Laois yesterday afternoon.

Aaron Hussain (5) was hit by a car in the Kilminchy area of Portlaoise at about 4.20pm on Saturday afternoon.

He was rushed to Portlaoise Regional Hospital, but pronounced dead a short time later. The driver, a woman in her 40s, was not injured.

Locals said Aaran was a junior infant student in the Educate Together school in Portlaoise town and was the son of Tauqir Hussain and Irina Novikova.

His parents are well known in the Portlaoise business community with his dad Tauqir involved in barber’s shop in Lyster Square. Locals are said to be comforting his parents at this tough time.

No funeral arrangements have been made as yet.

In a statement, gardaí said that gardaí and emergency services attended the scene of the fatal road traffic collision.

The collision, involving a pedestrian and a car, occurred at around 4.20pm.

The five-year-old boy was fatally injured and was removed from the scene to Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise.

He was pronounced dead a short time later and a post mortem examination will take place in due course.

A technical examination was due to be carried out by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators this morning.

Gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed this collision to contact them.

They said: “Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling in Kilminchy, Portlaoise, Co. Laois between 4pm and 5pm this afternoon are asked to make this footage available to investigating Gardaí.

“Anyone with information is asked to contact Portlaoise Garda Station on 057 867 4100, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.”